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freddypcharming · 12 years ago

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Male Illusion and the Art of Binding

Everyone gets into drag for different reasons, whether king or queen. Some people do it for “fun,” some people expect to be famous and make millions (most of these are sorely delusional), some do it as a form of self expression, others as a creative outlet, the reasons go on. The ones who really care about the craft are the people who really make a dent in this community. (Just because it’s what I’m most familiar with I’ll be talking more about kings than queens in this blog.) There are kings out there who put everything they are into the illusion, and they’re some of the best entertainers I’ve seen. They’ve worked hard for years to perfect every piece of their persona, from the facial hair down to the shoes on their feet. It’s what makes them awesome. I try to do that. And while I try to do that, I try to share the things I’ve learned with those willing to listen. I am in no way an expert. No one is, really. Ideas are always being thrown around and bounced off of peers, even by those who have been doing this for decades. In talking to a queen a few weeks ago, we both said, “When you think you have nothing left to learn, you’re done. It’s time to retire.” That being said, there have been a lot of discussions, observations, issues popping up in regards to binding, makeup, etc.

Today will be binding. Binding can make or break an illusion. You may have flawless facial hair and makeup, but for one reason or another refuse to bind, or don’t know how to bind correctly. For me that kills the whole deal. There are essentially 2 methods to binding: tape or binder. I’ve gone the binder route since I started doing drag, only taping a few times. One of the reasons I don’t tape is because I don’t do open shirt. No one wants to see that, trust me. And drawing a six pack of abs on a squishy belly is just a freaking joke. It’s just not believable. My skin is also extremely sensitive and reacts very violently to Gorilla tape which, unfortunately, is the only tape strong enough to hold these puppies back. So I use a binder. But even with a binder there are right ways and wrong ways to wear it. There are different types of binders, all available from underworks.com. The basic double panel compression shirt is the most popular. It looks like a simple tank top and is easily hidden under most shirts, including t-shirts. There is one that is a compression vest with a crotch snap, to help prevent rolling up. There is also one, that happens to be my most recent purchase, which is the compression shirt attached to a pair of spanx-like shorts. Binders not only flatten the chest and breasts, but straighten the curves of the hips, which is handy because most men are not curvy; they’re straight, angular.

When you get a binder, no matter what the style, the key is where to put the breasts. Don’t just get the binder on and leave it. There is adjusting involved. Boobs should be pushed down and to the sides, towards your armpits. Depending on the size of the boobs in question this may or may not result in some awesome side-boob action. Don’t worry. This can be hidden under shirts and things. The key is to NOT have cleavage or a uni-boob. Expect to be adjusting periodically throughout the night/day. It takes two seconds to reach in and move them back to the sides. Just remember that cleavage is a no no! It’s for this reason that binders don’t work too well under tank tops. Tanks have very little ability to hide or conceal things like cleavage, and there is nothing more off-putting than a king in a tank top with cleavage. It’s just not hot. Really. Some kings are able to tape UNDER the binder, to help with the squishing and the aforementioned side-boobage. If you're one of the lucky ones who can do this, it's definitely an option. Especially if you're a little more well endowed that some of our flatter brothers. You don't need to tape as tight as you would when using tape alone. It's more of a support. Basically, you would tape back and up. The binder will help cover any tape that wasn't laying flat and the tape will help the binder do its job.

If you’re taping, especially if you’re doing open shirt, talk to a veteran king about shading. There are tricks to make your chest look more masculine. It’s not just a matter of drawing boxes on your torso and calling it a day. There’s much more to it than that. There are good and bad ways to tape, too. Ways to avoid injury, and create a more realistic look. I guarantee that there is at least one male illusionist in your area that knows how to tape and shade correctly… talk to them. If there isn’t, email me and I can send you in the right direction. Don’t just draw a chest on with eyeliner or you end up looking like some bizarre He-Man steroid junkie, and not in a good way.

Things like ace bandage and saran wrap shouldn't ever be used to bind. Saran wrap is just dangerous and many a king has passed out because of it. Ace bandage isn't smooth, slips and is just a crappy method that was used decades ago. It doesn't look realistic and can almost always be seen and/or felt under clothes and costumes.

There is so much more to the illusion: facial hair, makeup, contouring, shading, etc. I am not an expert on any of these things, as I said before. I will do my best to talk about the basics of some of these things in later writings, but no matter what you do, or how you do it, take pride in it. Do it right, do it big, or go home. Continue to ask questions about everything. Reach out to those you look up to and I guarantee you will continue to grow as an entertainer.

#dragking #makeup #makeuptips #binding #bindingtips #dragadvice #taping #maleillusion

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